Heavy Freezing in Himachal Pradesh, Keylong being Coldest at -10.3° Celsius

 

Though skies were clear, penetrating cold waves flounced across Himachal Pradesh with the minimum and maximum temperatures dipping several gashes below freezing point on 29^th Dec 2020. The administrative centre of Lahaul and Spiti – Keylong, continued to be the coldest place in the state at -10.3° Celsius, a significant dip of over 3°compared to the minimum temperature of -6.7°C on Dec 28. The minimum temperature at Kalpa in Kinnaur (HP) was -6° C. The region shivered at -3.1°C the day before. The maximum temperature at Keylong and Kalpa was -1.5°C and 0.1° C, respectively.

A low of -2.9°C and maximum of -0.5°C was recorded at Dalhousie. The minimum temperature at Manali was -2.6°C, while state capital Shimla and the hill stations of Kufri, Dharamshala and Palampur recorded lows of 1.6°C, -0.2°C, 1.4°C and 1°C, respectively.  Nahan was the warmest place in the state of Himachal Pradesh and recorded a high of 17.9°C.

Beginning of snowfall from January 4^th 2021 has been predicted by the weather department when a western disturbance becomes active over the area. A yellow weather warning of thick ground frost and intense cold wave in the lower hills, including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra, on Dec 30^th and Dec 31^st.

Around 300 roads and some major highways in Himachal Pradesh remained closed for traffic due to the intemperate weather, causing disruption of 211 bus routes of Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). Ninety-seven buses have been stuck at various places across the state. Maximum number of roads are closed in the tribal Lahaul-Spiti district of HP.

Leaves of the employees and thousands of workers, deployed in the field to remove snow from various stretches, have been cancelled by the HP Public works department due to the predictions of heavy snowfall.

Shailja Sharma, Wife of Former Himachal CM Shanta Kumar Dies of COVID-19

 Shailja Sharma, wife of former Himachal CM Shanta Kumar, died of COVID during the early hours today on 29^th December 2020, at Tanda Medical College (Kangra).  She was 75 years old.

After being tested positive for coronavirus infection, the former CM Shanta Kumar and his wife Shailja were admitted to the college on December 27 for treatment. The authorities had tried to shift Shailja Sharma to Medenta Hospital in Gurgaon on 28^th December, but it could not be done. She suffered cardiac arrest on Tuesday early morning. Authorities are now preparing for her cremation as per covid protocols.

Shailza was undergoing treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. She was admitted to the facility after testing positive for COVID-19 a few days ago. The Chief Minister of HP and many other leaders have prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear the loss, through individual facebook posts.

Shanta Kumar was also admitted to the Tanda hospital on Saturday, a day after he tested positive for the disease. Four other family members, his personal secretary, security officer and driver have also tested positive for COVID-19.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him on Sunday to enquire about his and his family members’ health.

Inauguration of Driverless Train and National Common Mobility Card today on 28th December 2020

 

The country's first-ever fully-automated driverless train service is going to be flagged off on 28^th December 2020 by the PM of India. Fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services will also be launched on the Airport Express Line.  The inauguration is being held via video conferencing since 11:00 am today on 28^th Dec. The driverless metro train will run on the 37-km Magenta Line, connecting Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden.

 

 

The DMRC will enter the elite league of "7% of world's Metro networks" with the commencement of these new-generation trains, which can operate services without drivers, according to DMRC.  It has also been informed that by mid-2021, another major corridor of the Delhi Metro - 57 km Pink Line (Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar) - will also have driverless operations. Once the driverless trains are operationalized on the Pink Link too, the DMRC will have a driverless network length of about 94 km which will be approximately 9% of the world's total driverless metro network.

 

Features of Driverless Train

Primarily, drivers will be allocated for operating the trains, formerly they would be gradually withdrawn to move to Unattended Train Operation (UTO). The driverless train will have six coaches along with several advanced features.

Current operational network of Delhi Metro spans about 390 km with 285 stations across 11 corridors (including NOIDA Greater NOIDA line). On regular days, the average daily ridership of the Delhi Metro is over 26 lakh. The metro rail scenario in the entire nation has undergone a massive transformation in the last six years. While in 2014, only 248 km of metro lines were operational in five cities, presently 702 km are operational in 18 cities in India.

 

National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)

The NCMC services on the Airport Express Line are being launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.  After the launch, travelers will be able to use the NCMC on any corridor of the Delhi Metro.  PM Modi in March 2019 had launched the indigenously-developed NCMC to enable people to pay multiple kinds of transport charges, including availing of metro and bus services across the country.  Branded as 'One Nation One Card', the inter-operable transport card allows commuters to also pay for their bus travel, toll taxes, parking charges, retail shopping and even withdraw money.

The NCMC will be fully operationalized on the Airport Line and will also be a major milestone as anyone carrying a RuPay-Debit Card issued in the last 18 months by 23 banks from any part of the country will be able to travel on this line using that card. (All these are NCMC compliant as per directions of the Department of Financial Services, Government of India). The same facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.

Protesting Farmers Observed ‘Kisan Divas’ on 23rd December 2020

A huge number of farmers protesting at Delhi against the three agriculture reform laws enacted by the Indian government observed December 23, 2020 as 'Kisan Divas' and hold a day-long hunger strike.

Protesting farmers have forbidden people for cooking their lunch to show their solidarity with the initiative.  Shiromani Akali Dal advised its cohorts to back the appeal of organisations of farmers to show cohesion with farmers.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has urged all party workers to participate in the mass-one-day hunger strike to send out a clear message that Punjabis are one against the black agri-laws which would destroy future generations if they are not repealed.

Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla has also tweeted on the occasion of National Kisaan Diwas in protest against @BJP4India Govt’s unfair farm laws. He tweeted that he would also sit on a hunger strike on December 23, 2020.